A review by jamesvw
The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron

2.0

I felt constantly uncomfortable reading this book - having a bit of an understanding of its controversy prior to starting (as well as the omnipresent knowledge that the author is white - which shouldn't matter to me as a reader, but cast a shadow nonetheless), I was prepared to be skeptical of my own skeptical reading experience. However, the sexual repression aspect of the character - complete with homoeroticism and rape fantasies about blondes...well, frankly it spoiled the technically well-written and smoothly flowing narrative. Stereotypes abound in the book and while, in reading some literary criticism after I finished the book, I do think his critics sometimes did go too far in tearing Styron down, I think the controversy is well warranted. A deeply troubling book - but not only because the subject matter is so heavy.